South Australians who become sick or injured in outback and remote parts of the state will receive faster care thanks to an historic agreement between the State Government and the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).

The 10-year contract, worth $509.4 million, will significantly boost operational capacity at Adelaide Airport, increasing RFDS operations to four aircraft during the day and three overnight.

The available fleet will also feature for the first time a dedicated emergency response aircraft.

More nurses, pilots, engineers, clinical support workers and operational staff will be employed under the new deal, with the RFDS frontline team increasing by 23.4 FTE staff.

Importantly, two dedicated nurses will be stationed around the clock at the Adelaide Patient Transfer Facility, ensuring continuous patient care while keeping RFDS Flight Nurses ready to fly.

The investment means patients will be retrieved faster, with a new key performance indicator (KPI) more than halving the target response time for takeoff for Priority 1 and 2 regional fixed wing retrievals and Inter Hospital Transfers contracted to the RFDS through SA Ambulance Service (SAAS).

The new KPI requires RFDS aircraft to get in the air within 20 minutes of being tasked with an emergency job, more than halving the previous 45-minute target.

The rapid response capability will allow SAAS to quickly access areas that previously required longer helicopter flights, dramatically enhancing access to critical care.

The increase in assets will also improve the movement of patients out of metropolitan hospitals for care closer to home, ensure quicker access to care for patients travelling into the major hospitals, and ensure that SAAS MedSTAR’s critical care teams reach South Australians much faster.

SAAS MedSTAR with RFDS conduct approximately 7400 interhospital transfers and retrievals each year.

The co-branded Pilatus aircraft for government-funded retrievals will take to the skies this week with more co-branded assets due to be in operation by December.

SA Ambulance Service Chief Executive Officer Rob Elliott said SAAS was proud to continue its partnership with the RFDS.

“Our SAAS MedSTAR retrieval clinicians, working closely with the RFDS, complete around five fixed wing missions, and coordinate 15-20 RFDS inter-hospital transfers each day,” Mr Elliot said.

“Together, they do an incredible job delivering vital care to critically ill, injured and transport ready South Australians. This contract will streamline our operations, allowing our inter-hospital transfer and retrieval services to function more efficiently, ensuring that both types of patients are managed effectively and without delays.”

Royal Flying Doctor Service SA/NT Chairman Peter de Cure AM agreed.

“We are honoured to continue what is a remarkable partnership with the South Australian Government,” he said.

“This new agreement will take this partnership to almost 40 years of collaboration and service.

“The financial support and operational funding provided by the Government provides long-term security and a commitment to an enhanced level of serviceability which will benefit regional patients.”